1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and a method for controlling the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Web servers provide hypertext markup language (HTML) documents transmitted using hypertext transmission protocol (HTTP). Web browsers, as a client, display HTML documents acquired from the web server using HTTP. The web servers and the web browsers contribute to the widespread use of the Internet. The technology of the Internet in turn contributes to the advance of intranets that provide in-house information environments.
The web servers supply content via the Internet and intranets in a variety of formats other than HTML. For example, documents, such as manuals, have been conventionally distributed in printed matter, but today, a web server can supply the documents in electronic data (such as portable document file (PDF) data). Since HTTP transfers data in a binary stream, a web server can hold and supply data in a variety of types of data protocols as necessary. Content provided using new data protocols is expected to emerge.
A web browser, as a client, acquires data in any format using HTTP, but cannot display the data if a module compatible with the format is not built in. To respond to content in a variety of data formats, many web browsers for use in desk-top computers have mechanisms called plug-ins and helpers. Content that the web browser is not able to process is displayed using software modules and applications, such as plug-in and helpers. When neither browser nor plug-in can display received content, the browser opens and displays the data using a helper application, or simply stores the acquired data in an external storage device without displaying the data.
As mobile terminals, such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), become sophisticated, many of the terminals contain built-in browsers. Users always carry the terminals, like a wearable computer, accessing the Internet or intranet to use resources thereof in a ubiquitous computing environment. Built-in user interfaces in the mobile terminals are typically subject to limitation in display resolution and display area size. Information throughput of the terminals is also restrained. With these limitations, the web browser built into the terminal has difficulty in achieving a performance level as high as that of a desk-top computer web browser.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-344435 discloses a network system, in which a terminal is combined with a public printer installed like an automatic vending machine. The browser of the terminal accesses a content server to select content and an output printer. The mobile terminal can thus print out a high-resolution undisplayable content of a large amount of information on the output printer anywhere at any time.
Distribution systems realizing ubiquitous computing and including “carry-always” type terminals having built-in web browsers and printers have been proposed. For example, a server provides a low-quality image for a browser and a high-quality image for a printer (Japanese Patents Laid-Open Nos. 2001-256025 and 2002-259098).
Some digital multi-function apparatuses provide a web pullprint function (Japanese Patents Laid-Open Nos. 11-134125, 11-212751, 11-327834, and 2000-194531). The web pullprint function presents a data acquisition mechanism in HTTP like the one provided by the web browser, and a rendering mechanism for HTML. With the web pullprint function, an apparatus acquires content from a uniform resource locator (URL) designated by a user and prints out the acquired content.
A variety of content in formats other than HTML are currently present in the Internet or intranets. A dedicated and built-in browser in terminals, typically outperformed in throughput and expandability by general-purpose computers such as personal computers, has difficulty working with all types of data formats. The browser, typically installed as firmware, lacks flexibility such as working with additional function of a plug-in or helper.
Likewise, a web browser built into an image input and output processing apparatus, such as a multi-function apparatus, acquires data using HTTP, but can not necessarily interpret and expand data. The multi-function apparatus is provided with excellent functions as a dedicated apparatus, such as printing and facsimile transmission. With dedicated functions, the multi-purpose apparatus works with a variety of data types required in the functions. The data of a type that the built-in browser cannot display can be handled if the dedicated function of the apparatus is used. For example, a printer function typically handles many page description languages (PDLs) and image types. A printer having a direct print function prints PDF data and data unique to various applications. An image sending function converts data in many types of images, compression method, and file format into various types of image data before transmission, as necessary. As for a particular data format corresponding to the feature of these functions, the data protocols/formats handled by the apparatus's original function are diverse in comparison with the data protocols/formats handled by the built-in browser.
The user carrying a known mobile terminal browses resources scattered over a network, finds desired data, and prints out the desired data. However, in a workflow where sheets of paper, such as original documents, and transfer sheets, are input or output, users must be present in front of an apparatus to handle sheets of paper. It is frequently convenient for users to browse network resources on the user interface of the apparatus, and search for desired data. If a general-purpose web server maintains a dedicated content server that stores low-quality content intended to be displayed on a low-end browser and high-quality content intended to be printed, maintenance costs become substantially large. An HTML document, as an index, through which undisplayable data is referenced (linked), describes a location of data (URL), and does not include a description of data. A request to acquire the data is issued via HTTP, and whether or not the data is displayable is known by the head of an HTTP reply returned in response to the request. If the browser has determined that data is not displayable, it is not efficient for a printer to acquire the data.
In a known web pullprint, a built-in web pullprint module prints renderable data such HTML. Since the web pullprint is subject to limitations to throughput and expandability as much as a built-in browser, the web pullprint cannot handle a diversity of data.